Golden Knights hold off Kings to end 4-game losing streak

LAS VEGAS – The Vegas Golden Knights ended a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday.

Jack Eichel, Michael Amadio and William Karlsson scored, and Logan Thompson made 32 saves for Vegas (22-10-5).

“It's been a long, hard month, especially for the goalies here. So that's a good two points to finish it, a step in the right direction,” Thompson said. “We haven't been happy with ourselves, but I think the guys [have] been playing well. We've been putting forth some good efforts offensively. The plan was to just get back to our game plan, just playing defense first, and [the Kings are] a good road team. I think we played well tonight.”

The Golden Knights will look to win consecutive games when they face the Seattle Kraken at T-Mobile Park in Seattle in the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Day (3 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, SN, TVAS).

“I’m looking forward to all of it. The family skate is the day before, which is a great memory for all the kids and parents and whoever can make it,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “The players tend to have some sort of theme as they show up and how they dress, there’s all those things that go into it. Spending New Years together with your family and hockey family, you get to merge those for a big occasion. There’s nothing but good involved.”

Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist, and Cam Talbot made 29 saves for Los Angeles (20-8-4), which had won two in a row.

“They did an outstanding job of blocking shots and clearing the net, which they're very good at,” Los Angeles coach Todd McLellan said. “I think the disappointing part for me is the type of goals we gave up. And you can be connected offensively, but also defensively. When a team commits like that to defending and blocks in front and do the things they did around the net, you can't give them gifts.”

Eichel gave Vegas a 1-0 lead at 7:38 of the first period, roofing a wrist shot over Talbot’s glove from the left face-off circle off a cross-ice pass from Ivan Barbashev.

Amadio extended the lead to 2-0 at 2:27 of the second period on a rush. He got behind the defense and moved a pass to his forehand before lifting it over Talbot’s glove.

“I really thought the second goal killed us,” McLellan said. “There was nothing going on in that rush or in that play, then all of a sudden Amadio got a breakaway, so that hurts.”

Kopitar cut it to 2-1 at 13:07, deflecting in a pass from Adrian Kempe in front.

Karlsson pushed it to 3-1 at 14:42, one-timing a pass from Paul Cotter from behind the net.

Trevor Moore got the Kings to within 3-2 at 18:01 of the third period on a shot from a sharp angle with Talbot on the bench for an extra attacker.

“I wouldn't say we played a bad game, but we could have definitely been sharper and, you know, connect on more plays, which probably would have resulted with a few more chances,” Kopitar said. ”Maybe we could have squeezed one more by connecting on plays a little bit better. I guess being cleaner all over the ice.”

NOTES: Golden Knights forward Mark Stone extended his point streak to six games (two goals, six assists) with an assist on Eichel’s goal. … Vegas defenseman Ben Hutton left the game with an upper-body injury at 18:05 of the first period. Cassidy did not provide an update on his status after the game.